LG financial autonomy: Win for effective governance – Sonaiya
By Oluwatope Lawanson
The Presidential Candidate of the KOWA Party in the 2015 General Elections, Mrs Remi Sonaiya, has hailed the Supreme Court’s decision granting fiscal autonomy to local governments.
Sonaiya reacted to the judgment in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
The professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, expressed delight at the judgment, emphasising the importance of effective local governance.
The don said that the citizens could hold local governments accountable for their actions, with their direct access to funds.
“The Supreme Court’s decision is a significant step towards empowering local governments and ensuring effective governance at the grassroots level.
“Also, the local government is where the rubber hits the road. It is where we live, and the conditions there affect us directly.
“Now that they receive funds straight from the Federal Government, citizens should expect more from them, while those not performing up to expectations should be sanctioned, ” she said.
Sonaiya, therefore, urged local government chairmen and councillors to be prepared for accountability and good governance.
She urged healthy competition among local governments to provide the best services to Nigerians.
She also advised state governors to face their own work. NAN
